Quality-adjusted life years
Quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) (/ˈkwɒl.i/; singular QALY) is a measure of the value of health outcomes. Since health is a function of length of life and quality of life, QALYs were developed to combine these values into a single index number.
Etymology
The term "Quality-adjusted life years" was first used in the late 20th century, with the concept being developed in the 1970s and 1980s. The term combines the concepts of "quality of life" and "life years", reflecting the measure's aim to quantify the benefit of medical interventions in terms of both length and quality of life.
Definition
A QALY is a measure of the state of health of a person or group in which the benefits, in terms of length of life, are adjusted to reflect the quality of life. One QALY is equal to 1 year of life in perfect health. QALYs are calculated by estimating the years of life remaining for a patient following a particular treatment or intervention and weighting each year with a quality-of-life score (on a 0 to 1 scale). It is often used in cost-utility analysis to assess the value for money of medical interventions.
Related Terms
- Cost-utility analysis: A form of economic analysis used to guide procurement decisions. The most common and well-known application of this analysis is in pharmacoeconomics, especially health technology assessment (HTA).
- Health-related quality of life (HRQoL): A multi-dimensional concept that includes domains related to physical, mental, emotional, and social functioning. It goes beyond direct measures of population health, life expectancy, and causes of death, and focuses on the impact health status has on quality of life.
- Disability-adjusted life year (DALY): A measure of overall disease burden, expressed as the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death.
See Also
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